The 25 suspected cases of food poisoning were identified at Đặng Thùy Trâm Primary School. Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY — The Ministry of Health has ordered an urgent investigation into a suspected food poisoning outbreak at Đặng Thùy Trâm Primary School in HCM City, after 25 children were admitted to the hospital with gastrointestinal symptoms over three days.

According to a written directive by the Food Safety Department under the Ministry of Health on April 28, hospitals in the city admitted 25 patients between April 25 and April 27 presenting with abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, fever, all suspected to be linked to the school in Tân Thuận Ward.

The HCM City Food Safety Authority was ordered to direct hospitals treating the affected children to mobilise resources and focus on active treatment, ensuring no threat to patients' health or lives.

Investigators were also told to trace the origin of food supplies to identify suspect ingredients, collect food and biological samples for laboratory testing to determine the cause, and strictly handle any breaches of food safety regulations.

The directive also called for closer co-ordination with the Department of Education and Training to strengthen food safety at schools, and for school principals to be reminded of their responsibilities when operating collective kitchens on their premises.

The authority was further instructed to intensify food safety guidance for collective kitchen operators and street food vendors, monitor developments, and promptly make public the results of the investigation.

Children's Hospital No. 2 said that by 3pm on April 28 it had received 13 patients. One was treated as an outpatient while 12 were admitted for inpatient care. All are in stable condition and are receiving intravenous antibiotics.

The hospital added that laboratory testing of a stool sample from one patient had detected Salmonella spp. bacteria. — VNS